Synopses & Reviews
Savanna ecosystems play a major role in the natural landscape and in the economic life of vast areas of the tropics. These grasslands are inherently fragile, yet Third World economic development makes human exploitation inevitable. The question that remains is whether utilization of the savannas for agriculture and other purposes will create sustained economic growth or a desert waste.
Guillermo Sarmiento is an unquestionable authority on the grasslands of the New World. His book is the first modern, integrated view of the genesis and function of this important natural system--a synthesis of savanna architecture, seasonal rhythms, productive processes, and water and nutrient economy. Sarmiento's emphasis is on the Venezuelan savannas that he has spent a lifetime studying, but his outlook is far broader. He makes frequent comparisons with other neotropical and tropical savannas and with temperate prairies, and he offers conclusions of global importance, not only for ecologists and agronomist but for anyone concerned with the politics of Third World development.
About the Author
Guillermo Sarmientois Professor of Botany, <>Universidad de los Andes, Venezuela.Otto T. Solbrigis Bussey Professor of Biology, <>Harvard University.
Table of Contents
1. The Problem of the Tropical Savanna What Is a Tropical Savanna?
Need to Explain the Existence of Savannas
2. The Architecture of the Savanna
Vertical Structure
Horizontal Structure
3. The Seasonal Rhythms of the Savanna Species
Perennial Species with an Annual Semidormant Phase
Evergreen Trees with Seasonal Growth
The Ephemeral Species
Annual Species with a Long Cycle
Perennial Species with a Seasonal Rest Period
Species with Continuous Growth and Blooming
Summary of Phenological Strategies in Venezuelan Savannas
Phenology of the Species in Other Tropical Savannas and Their Comparison with the Venezuelan Savannas
4. The Productive Process
Biomass and Production in Venezuelan Savannas
Methodological and Conceptual Problems in the Study of Productive Processes
The Productive Processes of the Tropical Savannas
Production Data of Other Savannas and Grasslands Summary
5. Water Economy
The Seasonal Vibrations of Soil Moisture
Elements for a Discussion of the Water Balance of Tropical Savannas
General Conclusions
6. Nutrient Economy
The Savanna as an Oligotrophic Ecosystem
The Genesis of the Relief and Its Relation to the Characteristics of the Landscapes and Soils
Chemistry of Savanna and Other Tropical Soils
The Principal Nutrients in the Vegetation
The Problem of Aluminum in the Savannas
Other Nutrients and Mineral Elements in the Vegetation
The Nutrient Cycles
The Nitrogen Economy
The Economy of Other Nutrients
The Nutrient Balance in Tropical Rain Forests
7. Synthesis and Conclusions
Elements for an Interpretation of Savanna Ecosystems
References
Index